Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering Chooses Carl Zeiss to Supply Suite of Advanced Microscopes

Published on June 2, 2009 at 9:23 AM

The Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN) of North Carolina
A+T State University (NC A+T) and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
(UNCG) has chosen Carl Zeiss
SMT to be the supplier of a state-of-the-art suite of advanced charged-particle-beam
microscopes. Included is the first, world record setting ORION® PLUS helium-ion-microscope
ever installed in the Southeastern U.S.

Dr. James G. Ryan, Founding Dean, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (Photo: Business Wire)

“Our objective is to become a world class educational and technical institution,
with an infrastructure that includes the advanced instruments needed to support
leading-edge fundamental and applied research in Nanoscience and Nanoengineering,”
said Dr. James G. Ryan, Dean, JSNN. “One of the core essentials for this
infrastructure is a set of microscopy and analysis instruments that enables
us to see and analyze materials at the nano level.”

"The Carl Zeiss ORION® PLUS helium-ion-microscope is a true 'impact
technology', holding the world record for scanning electron and ion microscopy
resolution. This revolutionary instrument is enabling research in a wide variety
of nanobiomedical and nanoenvironmental science areas beyond the limitations
of conventional electron microscopy," said Ryan.

JSNN selected a suite of cutting-edge microscopes from Carl Zeiss, a manufacturer
widely recognized for its over 150 year history of innovation and technical
excellence in the field of optics, especially microscopes. Today, the Carl Zeiss
family of microscopes includes optical instruments and instruments powered by
charged particle beams like scanning electron- and helium-ion-microscopes.

In addition to the ORION PLUS helium-ion-microscope, JSNN will be acquiring
three additional electron microscopes from Carl Zeiss SMT Inc.:

an EVO® multi-purpose scanning electron microscope (SEM) that is also
known as an “environmental SEM” and will enable examination of
biological samples without metallic coating;

an AURIGA™ CrossBeam® FIB/SEM workstation, a Field Emission Scanning
Electron Microscope with Focused Ion Beam to enable high resolution examination
of samples as well as in-situ sample preparation.

“We are delighted to have a world class company with a total solutions
approach like Carl Zeiss as a partner and to have this suite of advanced microscopy
tools available to our students, faculty and other industrial partners,”
said Ryan. “The JSNN-Carl Zeiss partnership will involve scientific collaboration
in a number of areas and enable use of the microscopes for Carl Zeiss customer
demonstrations. The partnership is expected to create jobs in the Triad region
and help attract additional high caliber partners to work with JSNN.”

Dr. Nicholas P. Economou, President of Carl Zeiss SMT Inc., said, “The
remarkable strides already made by JSNN are indicative of what can happen when
the right team of people comes together in a well-defined effort to reach a
clear objective. We are very pleased to partner with JSNN, and look forward
to working with Jim Ryan and his team as the organization continues to move
forward.”

The Carl Zeiss microscopes are scheduled for installation at JSNN in the coming
months on the South Campus of The Gateway University Research Park, being jointly
developed by NC A&T and UNCG.